Baruch College Presents
Climate Change Film Discussion Series

NEW YORK, NY- September 29, 2014 - Baruch College is hosting a two-part film series and discussion about climate change and its role as a destabilizing force threatening our health and undermining our global economy.

With generous support from Baruch alumnus Robert A. Friedman (MBA ’67), The Berkin-Friedman Forum, housed under Baruch’s Weissman School of Arts and Sciences, brings together distinguished speakers for a panel discussion that focuses on American history and politics.

At 6 p.m., there will be a screening of Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey, a documentary series hosted by astrophysicist Neil deGrasee Tyson. The series explores how humans discovered the laws of nature and found our coordinates in space and time. A panel discussion will follow, featuring Myron Ebel, director of the Center for Energy and Environment at the Competitive Enterprise Institute; Alessandra Giannini, research scientist at the International Research Institute for Climate and Society; Ann Goodman, Ph.D., founder and president of Telesis, a sustainability strategy firm; and Christopher Hallowell, Ph.D., journalism professor at Baruch College. Mr. Friedman will moderate the discussion.

Journey to Planet Earth: “Extreme Realities”

On December 2 the screening of “Extreme Realities” of the series Journey to Planet Earth will be presented at 6:15 p.m. in the Engelman Recital Hall of the Baruch Performing Arts Center. Featuring award-winning actor Matt Damon, “Extreme Realities” explores links between climate change, extreme weather, and threats to our nation’s security.

The 52-minute documentary is produced by Emmy-Award winning Baruch alumus, Hal Weiner ’60 and his wife, Marilyn, who will participate in a post-screening panel discussion and reception, along one or two experts featured in the episode (Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Thomas Friedman, World Bank President Jim Yong Kim, former CIA Director James Woolsey, environmental visionary Lester Brown, and Oxfam Vice President Paul O'Brien). The documentary’s locations include Afghanistan, Pakistan, Russia, India, the Middle East, the United States, and the Arctic.

Under the leadership of Mindy Engle-Friedman, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychology and Ombuds at Baruch College, the Task Force aims to develop recommendations for new policies and practices that improve the College’s environmental performance, enhance curriculum opportunities and foster a campus culture of sustainability. If you are interested in supporting the Baruch College Task Force on Sustainability’s initiatives (e.g. water bottle refilling stations, speaker series, recycling program) or finding out more information, please contact Professor Engle-Friedman, Chair of The Baruch College Task Force on Sustainability at (646) 312-3815 or Mindy.Engle-Friedman@baruch.cuny.edu.

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About Baruch College:

Baruch College is a senior college in the City
University of New York (CUNY) with a total enrollment of more than
17,000 students, who represent 160 countries and speak more than 100
languages. Ranked among the top 15% of U.S. colleges and the No. 4
public regional university, Baruch College is regularly recognized as
among the most ethnically diverse colleges in the country. As a public
institution with a tradition of academic excellence, Baruch College
offers accessibility and opportunity for students from every corner of
New York City and from around the world. For more about Baruch College,
go to http://www.baruch.cuny.edu/.